Obesity the next tobacco?

If the government pays for people's health care, there will be the claim that people can't do what they want with their own bodies because others will have to pay for their actions.

Government Tackles Obesity Anew -- But Can It Show Restraint?

CDC Director Thomas Frieden reportedly told the conference that a tax on sugary drinks could help curb obesity, as he promoted measures that decrease the availability of unhealthy food while increasing their cost.

But he noted the political difficulty in getting such measures passed.

It's not just a political problem. For policy makers, the effort to draw the line between healthy and unhealthy foods, healthy and unhealthy behavior, is a challenge in consistency.

How can you tax soda but not french fries? How can you ban trans fats while doing nothing about salt content? . . . .

States to get "significant" obesity money

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. government plans to give state and local government more money to fight obesity, including investments in public transportation, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said on Tuesday.

She said healthcare reform efforts being worked out by Congress represented an opportunity to boost government funding in programs to get more fruits and vegetables into school lunches and encourage grocery stores to sell more fresh produce in poor communities. . . . .